Clippers in good spot after sixth consecutive victory

The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan blocks a shot by the Trailblazers' Victor Claver during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' Blake Griffin draws a foul on the Trailblazers' Luke Babbitt during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' Matt Barnes scores past the Trailblazers' Will Barton during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' Matt Barnes loses the ball under pressure from the Trailblazers' Eric Maynor during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' bench, including Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan at right, celebrate a dunk by Ryan Hollins during the first half of their game against the Portland Trailblazers at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan guards the Trailblazers' J.J. Hickson during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' observe a moment of silence for the Boston bombing victims before their game aginst the Portland Trailblazers at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The Clippers' Blake Griffin scores past the Trailblazers' Meyers Leonard, left, and Joel Freeland during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Clippers' DeAndre Jordan blocks a shot by the Trailblazers' Victor Claver during the first half of their game at Staples Center Tuesday night. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

LOS ANGELES – The Clippers need 48 more minutes of winning basketball to guarantee they'll open the postseason at Staples Center.

Tuesday in their final home game of the regular season, the Clippers dominated the Portland Trail Blazers, 93-77.

The Clippers built a 27-point lead, turning the game over to the bench for the entire fourth quarter.

"We did what we needed to do tonight," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said.

The team's regular season ends today in Sacramento, where a victory over the Kings would clinch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Clippers' opponent in the playoffs, though, is still a question mark.

"How it plays itself out, it plays itself out," Del Negro said.

The team could move up to the No. 3 spot if Denver loses at home tonight.

A Memphis loss to Utah would also clinch the Clippers' home-court in the first round.

"We need to take care of our own business," Matt Barnes said. "If we take care of our own business, nothing bad can happen to us."

Tuesday against Portland, which was without LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum, the Clippers jumped out to a quick lead and never relinquished it.

In the second quarter, the Clippers dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Trail Blazers, 21-5. In the quarter, the Clippers' rebounded eight of their 11 misses and held Portland to only 13 points.

Then in the third quarter, Caron Butler got going. Butler hit seven of nine from the floor, including four 3's. He scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the quarter.

With the big lead and the second leg of a back-to-back coming today, the Clippers' starters watched the bench play the entire fourth quarter.

"We've definitely gone into playoff mode," Barnes said.

Billups, Butler back

The Clippers fielded an entirely healthy roster, which has been the exception this season and definitely not the rule.

But with Chauncey Billups and Butler returning to the lineup, the Clippers are healthy at the right time.

Billups, who has only played in 21 games this season, had only played in 13-plus minutes, since injuring his right groin muscle before returning to the lineup Tuesday.

Butler missed the second half Saturday in Memphis because of a sore right knee.

Billups missed all five of his shots from the field, but he hit all four free throws and dished out five assists.

Del Negro said he thought Billups looked good physically even though he was a little out of sync.

"We've been trying to get Chaunce out there a lot," Del Negro said before the game. "He knows how to play, but we want to get him in game condition as quick as possible. He gives us another dimension out there, making plays off the dribble and shooting the basketball."

Billups' return comes at a time when the Clippers seem to have hit a stride, and there are some minimal concerns about disrupting that chemistry.

"You have to chemistry down, play sets, defensive trust, talking through things," Del Negro said. "There's no question (his) experience helps, but the conditioning factor and the game reps are very important."

Billups return pushes Willie Green to the end of the bench. In Green's last 13 games prior to Tuesday, the veteran guard is hitting 63.9 percent of his 3-point shots.

"It's a great problem to have, having a lot of guys playing well instead of a lot of guys playing poorly," Ryan Hollins said. "...Chauncey's an incredibly smart player. That makes it a whole lot easier.

"...Him coming back, it certainly doesn't bother us."

Notes

Jamal Crawford made a pair of 3-point shots Tuesday, bringing him within two makes of tying Rasual Butler's team record. Butler made 145 3's in the 2009-10 season. ...

The Clippers finished the season 32-9 at Staples Center, a team record.

Tuesday's 16-point victory was the 38th time this season the Clippers' won by 10 or more points, second-most in the NBA behind Oklahoma City (43). ...

For the third time since April 16, 2012, a Clippers fan hit a half-court shot to win a new car.

Tuesday, first-year season-ticket holder Kevin Laio swished a shot between the third and fourth quarters, winning a new Dodge Dart.

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